Secret Teachings Of A Comic Book Master

"Alfredo Alcala is one of the most disciplined and perceptive artists inking in comics. The years of distinguished work have earned Alfredo a special place in comics history." — Gil Kane. In the late 1960s, an extremely talented group of Filipino illustrators took the American comic book industry by storm — and the late Alfredo Alcala led the way, working for both Marvel and DC on such popular characters as Conan the Barbarian and Batman. This unique work is loaded with amazing art and pointers on observational methods, composition, and other techniques. In addition to insightful interviews with Alcala, the book features pages from his groundbreaking masterwork, Voltar, which was hailed as a new concept in comic book form, an epic in narrative art, and a milestone in sequential art illustration. Students, professionals, teachers, and fans will treasure this inspiring volume and its insider's look at comic book artistry. "A wonderful look at the thought process of one of the best artist/inkers in comic book history and should be read, not just by comic book fans, but by anyone who appreciates great art." — Rushford Public Library

This unique work, full of insight on composition and other techniques, features interviews with the legendary comic artist as well as pages from his masterwork Voltar. It also includes Introductions by Gil Kane and Roy Thomas.

The industry-standard manual for aspiring inkers and working professionals returns in a new expanded edition. Gain insights into the techniques, tools, and approaches of some of the finest ink artists in comics, including Terry Austin, Mark Farmer, Scott Williams, Alex Garner, and many more. This expanded edition features new art and text by author Gary Martin and a bonus chapter on digital inking by artist Leo Vitalis. Also included are eight full-sized blue-lined art boards featuring pencil art by top comics illustrators, present and past, to use for practice or as samples to show editors and publishers. Along with pen, brush, and stylus, no inking tool is more useful than The Art of Comic-Book Inking.

"Account of how comic book heroes have helped their creators and fans alike explore and express a wealth of paranormal experiences ignored by mainstream science. Delving deeply into the work of major figures in the field - from Jack Kirby's cosmic superhero sagas and Philip K. Dick's futuristic head-trips to Alan Moore's sex magic and Whitley Strieber's communion with visitors - Kripal shows how creators turned to science fiction to convey the reality of the inexplicable and the paranormal they experienced in their lives. Expanded consciousness found its language in the metaphors of sci-fi - incredible powers, unprecedented mutations, time-loops and vast intergalactic intelligences - and the deeper influences of mythology and religion that these in turn drew from ; the wildly creative work that followed caught the imaginations of millions. Moving deftly from Cold War science and Fredric Wertham's anticomics crusade to gnostic revelation and alien abduction, Kripal spins out a hidden history of American culture, rich with mythical themes and shot through with an awareness that there are other realities far beyond our everyday understanding."--Jacket.

What does a comic-book inker do? Is an inker responsible for the coloring? Does an inker just trace over the lines? How much of the line work is done by computer? Learn the answers, and the stylized techniques, from the professionals! This book, full of tips from the comics industry's greatest living inkers, is for aspiring inkers, untrained professional inkers, pencillers who want to become more inker-friendly, and the majority of editors who work in comics today.

Holy Hannah is a graphic novel about belief, and a woman's eventual indoctrination into a religious cult.

This masterfully crafted guide to ninjitsu or budo explore in depth the history, culture and philosophy of this fascinating and enduring Japanese martial art. Budo is one of the least understood forms of art in the world. Even more than skills or techniques, the teachings of budo require faith to learn and courage to understand. One of the fundamental teachings of budo is ninjutstu, the art of perseverance that forms the basis of the Japanese martial arts. The lessons in this book come directly from experiencing the living vitality of the world's foremost master of the ninja arts, Masaaki Hatsumi. Through the use of stories, poetry, art, and earned wisdom, the authors move beyond the common image of the martial arts and reveal the nature of the unexpected changes in themselves as they struggled to come to terms with what being a martial artist in the ninja tradition meant. The Art of Life and Death is a reflection of the discipline, the aesthetics, and the philosophy that lies hidden within the martial way. It is a glimpse at the hidden potential of the martial arts, one where the practitioner can embrace transcendence and transformation in order to face all the fears that litter life and also life's most fearsome opponent: Death.

Internationally recognized for his genre-busting 1940s art and storytelling style on The Spirit, Will Eisner's greatest legacy may be the graphic novels he championed and created. He was an American master whose work in comics permanently altered the face of global pop culture. A Spirited Life explores Eisner's amazing life, detailing a career that spanned 70 years and saw him educate several generations of Army soldiers in the innovative PS Magazine and create the first widely known graphic novel, A Contract with God. Eisner also introduced some of the world's greatest comics art talent: Bob Kane (Batman), Jack Kirby (Fantastic Four), Jules Feiffer, Dave Berg (MAD) and Joe Kubert (Tarzan). And he inspired generations of modern artists and writers, including Frank Miller (Sin City), Robert Crumb, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman (Sandman, American Gods), Brad Bird (The Incredibles), Patrick McDonnell (Mutts) and Art Spiegelman (Maus). A Spirited Life also includes interviews with many of Eisner's contemporaries, such as Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, Neil Gaiman, Denis Kitchen, Jim Warren, Dave Sim, Denny O'Neil and Stan Lee.